In The End
by thx10050
Summary: A novelization of my own completion of Mass Effect. Please enjoy. Reviews would be appreciated. Thank you.


((Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to BioWare or its games or anything else. Everything related to Mass Effect belongs to BioWare. This story is written for entertainment purposes only.))

((WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS GAME SPOILERS))

((Author's Note: This story is now complete and will probably not be updated in the future.

This project began after I'd finished Mass Effect for the first time. Some aspects of the ending to the game really bothered me, such as no acknowledgment of your love interest past the love scene and no information or cut scenes detailing what happens with your other companions as Shepard leaves to presumably confront the Reapers and/or find a means of destroying them. I therefore decided I'd work on novelizing the ending to my own completion of the game as a personal project, adding in dialogue and scenes I felt would help make the ending a richer, more satisfying experience, for myself at least. I hope you all enjoy my efforts.

Editing of this project was helped with by VoiDreamer on this website. I highly recommend you take a look at her work. She has been immensely helpful during the course of this story and is an excellent writer.

Please note the in-game dialogue has mostly been modified and that in-game scenes have been fleshed out or new ones have been added. I apologize to any die-hard fans of the game in advance as I realize this project has grown beyond what I originally had envisaged as a simple 're-telling' of the end to this game.

Male Shepard (default in-game look): Vanguard/Earth-Born/War Hero, Paragon ending))

Mass Effect: Ending Novelization

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Shepard," Saren said, his deep, harsh voice echoing throughout the burning hall.

"Yeah? In time for what?" John replied coldly as he slid lower behind the support banister, squeezing his armored body into cover. Holding the Spectre VII assault rifle across his chest in hands sweaty beneath armored gloves, he carefully glanced around, searching for his companions.

John had shoved Liara aside the moment Saren had hovered into view, the ex-Spectre's right claw wrapped menacingly around an HE grenade. With adrenaline-fueled clarity, the Commander had seen the events that would unfold only a second later, the explosion that would follow. And so, desperate to protect the one he cared about, he had done the only thing he could. He never saw where she had landed, his own arms thrown up to shield his face and torso as he dove for safety.

With a moment's respite, he now looked around for them, his face etched with worry. It was only when he spotted Garrus and Wrex helping Liara to her feet at the bottom of the stairs that he allowed himself the barest exhalation of relief. His heart hammered within his chest at the thought of what might have happened to her. But it was okay, they were safe for the moment – _she_ was safe.

"The final confrontation, of course," Saren said, his murderous chuckle yanking John back into grim reality. "I think we both knew it would end like this. You've lost. You know that, don't you? In a few minutes Sovereign will control _all_ of the Citadel's systems. The Relay will open and the Reapers will return."

Shepard gritted his teeth, thinking of the file Vigil had given him. He wouldn't allow the mass genocide of every advanced organic species. The cycle of galactic extinction would end here and now.

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, bastard!" He shouted back over his left shoulder. Ejecting the spent high-explosive magazine in his assault rifle, John slammed home a new one, locking it in.

"Ha!" The ex-Spectre folded his arms across his chest. "You survived our encounter on Virmire, yes, but I've changed since then. _Improved_." Saren was fairly gloating. "Sovereign has…upgraded me."

"You _let_ Sovereign implant you?" Shepard spat, his eyes widening in shock and disgust. "Are you _insane_?"

"I suppose I should thank you, Shepard," Saren said, his deep voice growing softer. "After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said, about Sovereign manipulating me, about indoctrination… Those doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation and I was implanted to…strengthen my resolve." His voice grew firm again. "Now my doubts are gone; I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand the Reapers need organics. Join us, Shepard, and Sovereign will find a place for you too."

"Dammit, Saren, Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?" Even now, John couldn't stop himself from trying to reason with the turian. It had never worked before, but he realized this was his last chance.

Saren waved a claw dismissively.

"The relationship is symbiotic, Commander," He stated, spreading his arms out wide. "Organic and machine intertwined. A union of flesh and steel. I possess the strengths of both; the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the _future_, Shepard! The evolution of _all_ organic life. _This_ is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!"

"Sovereign hasn't won yet!" John declared, a familiar blue-white aura surrounding him as he readied his biotic powers. "I can stop it from taking control of the station. Step aside and the invasion will never happen."

"We _can't_ stop it!" Saren snarled. "Not forever. You saw the visions; you saw what happened to the Protheans! The Reapers are…too powerful…"

John hesitated, the biotic glow dimming. There was something in Saren's voice now, a seemingly hairline crack in his otherwise iron resolve. He didn't know what was going on in the turian's mind, couldn't understand whatever internal turmoil might be taking place at that moment, but he recognized an opening when he saw one.

"Saren, I hear it in your voice!" He called out. "Some part of you must realize this is _wrong_! You can _fight_ this!"

Saren shook his head slightly as if to clear his vision, his glowing eyes narrowing. He raised his claws, slowly clenching them into tight fists. As if against his will the words forced themselves from his mouth, his speech halting and grated.

"Maybe… Maybe you're right… Maybe there's still a chance-" Abruptly, he roared in pain, hands clenching against his head as lightning arced across his armored torso, crackling up from his waist to his neck. His body trembled, muscles spasming. "The implants… Sovereign is too strong! I'm… I'm sorry, Shepard, it's too late for me…"

John rolled out of his scant cover, rising smoothly to his feet to face the ex-Spectre. Behind him, he heard Liara cry out his name in panic, his actions overriding even her usually calm and composed nature. He felt her love and fear as if they were his own, her strong emotions threatening to overwhelm him through the link they now shared: mind, body, and soul as one.

He didn't know why he moved now to confront Saren. It was almost suicidal to challenge the cybernetically-enhanced turian in plain sight with only his physical weapons and brute-force biotics against the might of Sovereign's harbinger. And yet, John was convinced that _this_ was the right thing to do. He had finally heard the pain and anguish in Saren's voice, the all-consuming regret. He understood that Saren had struggled long against the proverbial monster, alone, and in doing so had become twisted into one as well.

He raised his arms carefully to show his empty hands, his assault rifle hanging from its shoulder strap. His ice-blue eyes bored into the turian's, as piercing as lasers.

"It's not over yet!" He shouted up to Saren as he hovered in the air. "You can still redeem yourself!"

The ex-Spectre seemed to sway for a moment as if weighing the words of this lone human man took all of his strength.

And then...

"Thank you, Shepard."

Across the turian's battle-hardened features, there flickered the ghost of an exultant smile. Confused by the pure gratitude he heard in the voice, John could only watch what happened next. Without any further hesitation, Saren raised his right claw. Planting the large barrel of the pistol against his head, he pulled the trigger.

_Good-bye..._

Despite the shock and relief at Saren's immediate demise coursing through him like quicksilver, John found his body rushing forward of its own accord. His right arm reached out as he lunged for Saren's corpse as it fell limply from the hover-board. He was too late though and was forced to stop short as the body crashed through the glass of the Council's decorative meeting garden below. It landed with a heavy thump on the dark green grass, limbs sprawled out, unmoving.

Then came the clatter of armored feet hurrying up the stairs behind him and just as John turned around, Liara came barreling into him, rocking him back with the force of her embrace. Her arms encircled his waist, hugging him fiercely, her cheek pressed tightly against his chest.

"By the Goddess!" She cried, her voice muffled against his armor, her body tense with anxiety. "Don't ever do something as stupid as that again! I can't lose you… Not ever…"

Overwhelmed by the raw emotion in her words and knowing he felt the same way for her made it all the more difficult to speak, if he could even think of the words. He contented himself by drawing her closer, his right hand moving up to gently stroke her cheek.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Shepard," Wrex growled as he stomped into view, his massive assault rifle held in both hands. "But we don't have time for this. Or did you forget there's a crazy living ship out there bent on destroying the known galaxy?"

"Saren's been dealt with, Commander," Garrus said, echoing the krogan's sentiment. "But Sovereign's moments away from opening the Relay. We have no time to lose. Upload Vigil's program to the Citadel's central controls."

"You're right," John replied sharply, masking his embarrassment with authority as he removed his arms from around the young asari woman. Next to him, Liara cleared her throat quietly, but said nothing. A blush rushed up the blue skin of her face, coloring her cheeks a lovely rosy pink. But despite his sudden stoicism, her right hand remained in the gentle grasp of his left.

Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Shepard walked over to the command console Saren had been using and activated his omni-tool. Tapping several buttons in quick succession, John transferred Vigil's program into the Citadel's central computer system. Within moments, new options and controls appeared on the main screen.

"Vigil's data file worked. Security barriers are activated and in place. I've got control of all the Citadel's systems."

"Open the station's arms, Commander," Garrus advised. "Maybe the Council fleet can destroy Sovereign before it penetrates the firewalls and takes control of the station."

"Wait!" Liara interjected as she saw John begin to activate the controls on his omni-tool. "See if you can open a communications channel first. We need to know what's going on out there."

Shepard nodded in understanding and within moments a distress call came through the central console, the voice badly fragmented by explosions, wailing alarms, and static interference.

"_-is the __**Destiny Ascension**__! Main drives are offline, kinetic barriers down forty percent! The Council is onboard! I repeat: the Council is onboard! All available ships, please assist-!_"

Joker's voice unexpectedly cut in.

"_**Normandy**__ to the Citadel! __**Normandy**__ to the Citadel! We're reading an active comm-channel. Please tell me that's you, Commander_."

"I'm here, Joker," John replied. "What's your status?"

"_We caught that distress call, Commander. I'm sitting here in the Andura Sector with the entire Arcturus Fleet. We can save the __**Ascension**__! Just unlock the Relays around the Citadel and we'll send in the cavalry_."

Just as John opened his mouth to reply, Wrex cut in, stepping forward, his deep voice rumbling in his throat.

"I know what you're going to say, Shepard, but understand this: you can't waste Alliance ships protecting the Council. You need to use them to attack Sovereign directly."

"This is bigger than Humanity!" Liara's disagreement with the krogan mercenary was immediate. "Sovereign is a threat to every organic species in the galaxy!"

Garrus, the ever-pragmatic, raised a hand in placation as he also took a step forward, his voice deliberately neutral.

"Liara is correct. And that is exactly why you shouldn't waste your reinforcements to protect the Council, Commander. You should hold them back until we can force the Citadel's arms open and the fleet can attack Sovereign. If you send them in now, there's no guarantee there'll be enough ships left to destroy the Reaper after they've fought the Geth."

John's eyebrows furrowed into a hard frown as Joker spoke up again.

"_What's the order, Commander? Do we come in now to save the __**Destiny**__**Ascension**__? Or hold back? We don't have much time_. _The __**Ascension's**__ kinetic barriers and armor are failing rapidly_."

Shepard raised his eyes to meet both Garrus' and Wrex's stares. After a moment, he shook his head, the movement almost imperceptible.

"I've always believed we should be supporting our new allies; that Humanity needs to be out there proving its worth and honor to the other races. I won't back down from those ideals. This is the _right_ thing to do." His fingers quickly danced across his omni-tool. "I'm opening the Relays now, Joker. We need to save the _Ascension_, no matter the cost."

Wrex nodded slowly as Garrus spoke for both of them.

"I only hope the Council appreciates this sacrifice, Commander. Many humans are going to lose their lives as soon they engage the Geth fleet."

John nodded firmly, his confidence in the Council absolute.

"They will; I'm sure of it. Now give me a hand, Garrus. We don't have much time to get the station's arms open and I need all the help I-"

"The Relays are activating," Liara interrupted, pointing at a large separate screen depicting the outside of the station from several viewpoints. Shepard adjusted the clarity using his omni-tool. "Here comes the Alliance fleet."

- - - - -

If there was any way for sound to travel in space, the Alliance fleet would have come through the Mass Relays surrounding the Citadel in a devastating roar.

Led by the _Normandy_, over two dozen cruisers with frigate escorts appeared in blinding flashes of white light. Their engines immediately powered them towards the Geth fleet besieging the remnants of the Council's defending forces. In the center of the Alliance fleet was a massive command-and-control dreadnought, Admiral Hackett's flagship _Everest_. This warship was accompanied by a smaller carrier-class battleship, which had begun launching fighters and bombers mere minutes after arriving, its squadrons already fully prepared under scramble orders.

"_Alliance ships, fire at will!_" Admiral Hackett's rough voice crackled across the comm-net. "_Save the __**Destiny Ascension**__!_"

Lean and angular Alliance cruisers, clearly inspired by turian designs, led the charge, their escort frigates breaking off to intercept any Geth ships that penetrated too close into the cruisers' defensive envelopes. White Geth attack vessels, bulbous and insectoid, swarmed towards the oncoming Alliance warships, the two sides engaging within only ten minutes after the Human fleet had appeared.

Forming the tip of a flying wedge of cruisers, the _Normandy_ closed with the beleaguered _Destiny Ascension_. Effortlessly twisting the _Normandy_ through evasive maneuvers most Alliance pilots could only dream of doing, Joker launched salvoes of missiles to break apart the oncoming Geth formations. The trailing cruisers punched through the disorganized Geth fleet with their forward rail-guns and missile tubes, receiving little concentrated fire in return. Within moments, the two fleets were intermingled, Alliance and Geth ships opening fire with every weapon at their disposal from their main broadside batteries to powerful GARDIAN anti-fighter lasers.

The immense asari dreadnought was in bad shape. Her once-shining hull was now pitted and scarred by kinetic weapons fire and missile impacts. She was under attack by eight Geth ships, her efforts to limp away from her assailants thwarted by ever-increasing damage to the main engines and hull. Power systems fluctuated wildly across the warship from damage and as the bridge crew attempted to divert more and more energy from weapons and non-essential systems into the main engines and kinetic barriers.

Matriarch Lidanya threw up an arm to shield her face as yet another command console overloaded and exploded, showering the main bridge with sparks and debris. The entire dreadnought seemed to be shaking and shuddering as if it would tear apart at any moment. _By the Goddess_, she thought desperately, _there has to be __**something**__ more I can do!_

An excited shout from one of her officers momentarily startled her.

"Commander, we're picking up reinforcements!"

Shocked, Lidanya could only stagger over to the officer's console as yet another explosion shook the _Ascension_. Her eyes widened as she beheld the flickering sensor screen with its myriad icons.

"It's the Alliance!" She exclaimed, her voice choked with relief. "Thank the Goddess!"

Despite losing six cruisers and ten frigates in the advance, the _Normandy_ and remaining ships of the Alliance fleet swept the space around the _Destiny Ascension_ and the Citadel clear of enemy vessels. Hackett's own dreadnought was a particularly fearsome opponent, wading into the thickest of the fighting to methodically bracket and destroy Geth ships with overwhelming firepower from its main batteries. Soon fighter-launched torpedoes and missiles were chasing down the last of the enemy fleet.

"_**Destiny Ascension**__, you are all clear,_" Joker said over the comm-net. "_Repeat: you are all clear._"

"_The Citadel's opening!_" Admiral Hackett broke in. "_All ships, move in. Concentrate your fire on Sovereign._"

The five massive arms of the space station were indeed opening slowly, but steadily, spreading out wide and pulling back. They split apart to reveal the red, multi-limbed Reaper attached to the Citadel's central tower like some grotesque parasite. Red-white energies crackled across its surface, its thick armor plating resembling the chitinous exoskeleton of some nightmarish insect.

Without hesitation, the combined Citadel and Alliance forces swept forward to unleash the might of a united galaxy. Volleys of cannon fire and waves of missiles rained down in a devastating bombardment that would have obliterated even the greatest of the asari dreadnoughts ten times over. And yet Sovereign showed no signs of damage, its hull absorbing the punishing torrent as though its enemies were armed with nothing more than pop guns.

The sour taste of fear rose in the mouths of both human and alien alike. Soldiers of every rank had to force themselves to breathe normally, icy fists of dread squeezing their hearts. The rumors were true. Sovereign was invincible. And now the doom of the galaxy was at hand.

- - - - -

"Huh," Wrex grunted as he watched the screen with the others. "Our weapons are useless..." His powerful hands flexed almost imperceptibly on his assault-rifle, the only visible sign of the krogan's anxiety.

"Wrex, you possess a power of observation few can match," John replied, his voice harsh, twisted with bitter sarcasm. His mind was racing, _what could have gone wrong?_

Liara tried squeezing his hand as he had her own, her other arm slipping around his to hold him close. Shepard barely registered her actions, too numb with shock. Despair like nothing he had ever known before, not even during the final battle at Elysium, dragged him down like a physical weight upon his soul.

_Failure._

The concept hung around him like an unholy stench, stifling him, surrounding him until it was almost impossible to think clearly. There had to be something he could do...

And yet the minutes ticked relentlessly on, bringing him face-to-face with the single inescapable conclusion...

There was _nothing_ more that could be done.

The Council and the Alliance clearly didn't have the technology to destroy Sovereign. Beeping alerts from the command console told the grim tale of the Reaper systematically bypassing or destroying firewalls and security barriers in its relentless pursuit of controlling the Citadel's systems and opening the Mass Relay to Dark Space.

John still refused to give in. He had come so far...

"Garrus, I need your help again," Shepard said quietly after a long moment. "If we can activate as many of the Citadel's defense turrets as possible, maybe...maybe those will help tip the balance..." He didn't add that doing so was a lot better than just standing around waiting to die. "Wrex," He continued, pointing down at Saren's corpse. "Make sure he's dead."

Without a word, the krogan mercenary jumped off the narrow bridge they were all standing on, landing with a heavy thump in the meeting garden below. Lumbering strides brought him over to the limp body. Wrex raised his assault-rifle, firing two high-explosive bullets into Saren's chest and one into his head, right between his lifeless blue eyes.

"He's dead, Shepard," The krogan stated, kicking the body once just to make sure. "I-"

Wrex was interrupted by a low rumbling that quickly grew into a terrible thundering as it burst forth from deep inside the Citadel's core, the entire station shuddering as if in its death throes.

Crying out in alarm, Liara raised one arm protectively over her head, the other refusing to release the hold she had on John. Around her, the sheer force of the shaking and shuddering began cracking the walls, collapsing support pillars, and sending chunks of the ceiling raining down to smash apart against the ground. Blazing red-white arcs of energy emerged from the walls and floor to tear angrily across the hallway, destroying all in their path, reducing the already burning gardens to ash and dust.

Eyes narrowed in a glare of defiance, John roughly pushed Liara behind him, back towards the command console, even as she readied her pistol in trembling hands. He raised his assault-rifle, tracking the muzzle back and forth, searching in vain for the source of this new nightmare. The hellish glow of the fiery energies below caught the Commander's attention and he glanced down to see those same energies engulf Saren's corpse.

The body twitched and jerked spasmodically as increasing amounts of energy surrounded it. A bestial roaring filled the air, drowning out all other sound, as the turian's formerly lifeless corpse was wrenched to its feet as if by the hands of a mad puppeteer. The glow was nearly blinding, but John continued to watch in horror, pausing only to raise a hand to shield his vision. Through squinting eyes, he saw Saren's carcass begin to transform, blue-white implants erupting from the grey skin, limbs and claws lengthening.

A tremendous backlash of energies from the shuddering corpse sent Wrex flying to crash headlong into the far wall as the extended bridge supporting the other three crew members collapsed into the garden below. Garrus and Shepard, using training and sheer instinct, managed to tuck themselves into awkward shoulder rolls to help absorb the impact. Liara, however, was still very much a scientist and landed heavily on her back, gasping as the force drove the breath from her lungs despite her body armor.

As the rumbling and roaring began to die down, the red-white energies abating, John pushed himself slowly up from the ground, supporting himself on his hands and knees. He shook his head slightly to clear it, before glancing around for his companions. Garrus was in a similar state, attempting to gather his wits and recover his strength. Liara had rolled onto her side, coughing and wheezing as she struggled to control her breathing. Wrex lay slumped unconscious against the far wall, the surface cratered from the force of the impact. Although unmoving, his lifesigns were still strong on John's HUD. Having confirmed the status of his team, the Commander at last turned his gaze to where he had seen Saren's body. The breath caught sharply in his throat, his blue eyes widening as he beheld the turian's corpse.

It was as if some demonic entity now possessed the ex-Spectre's form. Harsh red-white energies blazed in the open chest cavity lined with exposed ribs covered in writhing blue-white circuitry. Once muscular turian limbs had been augmented to nearly twice their length and each ended in long vicious claws. Here and there, blackened bones also entwined with wires could be seen amidst the tatters of grey flesh that now clung grotesquely to the skeletal body. However, worst of all was the head, the sight of which John was certain he would never forget.

Having lost the lower jaw entirely in its metamorphosis, jagged spikes of shattered teeth hanging from the upper, the eyes and skull blazed fiercely from within with the same red-white fire. Its piercing gaze seemed to mock the Commander as it stared back at Shepard, a nightmarishly familiar tilt to its head.

John only had to hear the deep metallic voice to know his true enemy.

"_I am Sovereign and this station is __**mine**__!_"

Shepard paused only long enough to grab up his assault-rifle, taking aim.

"The hell it is."

- - - - -

"_**Freedom**__ here! We're detecting a massive surge in Sovereign's energy signature!_"

"_**Ajax**__ confirms! We're also seeing a huge increase-!_"

The captain of the _Ajax_ never finished his sentence. With a careless flick of annoyance, Sovereign raised one massive, articulated limb to send a wide beam of red-white energies lancing through space from the tip, slicing the cruiser in half. Power generators breached, the Alliance ship exploded, shrapnel lashing nearby vessels.

Across the combined fleet, Citadel and Alliance captains leapt to their feet, bellowing orders for evasive action, but it was to no avail. Crowded in around their foe like a pack of wolves to maintain their bombardment, the human and alien warships created the very definition of a target-rich environment. Raising still more appendages, the Reaper made them pay for their arrogance in blood, energy beams cutting apart five more ships in half as many seconds.

Desperate to gain the space to maneuver effectively, a few cruisers and frigates collided with one another as their helmsmen accelerated far too quickly, further adding to the chaos and panic steadily engulfing the Citadel and Alliance forces.

"_Sovereign's too strong!_" The frantic shout over the comm-net seemed to echo the thoughts of all who heard it. "_We have to pull back!_"

"Negative!" Admiral Hackett said sharply.

Standing at parade rest on the command bridge of the _Everest_, at the very forefront of the Alliance assault, he looked out upon the destruction with narrowed eyes, his jaw set in grim determination.

"This is our only chance!" He continued, his rough voice filled with the conviction born from dozens of battles and years of experience.

"Take that Reaper down, no matter the cost!"

- - - - -

With a stifled shout of pain, John crashed back first into a jagged boulder, his shields failing, his armor only partially absorbing the crushing impact. Collapsing onto both knees, Shepard gasped for breath as he forced himself into an awkward half-crawl, scrambling into the cover afforded by the large stone. Red-white energy blasts sought him out, exploding the ground and rock to send out blinding sprays of debris and choking clouds of grey dust.

"Commander!" From his own position, Garrus shouted over the noise of his own weapon firing, his attention still focused on the terrible creature before them. "Are you-?"

"I'm alright," Shepard wheezed, gritting his teeth. With an angry grunt, he pushed himself to his feet, swinging his own weapon out over the boulder to take aim at the burning skeletal form. Firing only a short burst of shots, he was forced to duck back into cover again a moment later as a trio of energy bolts stitched their way along the top of the rock.

"_Puny things, you merely postpone the inevitable,_" Sovereign stated, its mechanical voice as frigid as the void between the stars. "_Your efforts are futile. The Cycle __**will**__ continue._"

John cursed as the Saren-Husk suddenly leapt up and across the garden to attach itself to the wall behind him, quicker and more agile than a damned Geth Hopper. Hurling a high-explosive grenade into the Reaper's face, the Commander rolled to his right as a flurry of energy blasts smashed the boulder into blackened fragments. Even as the grenade exploded and he finished his roll, John was already firing his assault-rifle at where Sovereign had been attached to the wall. He was too late though, for the Saren-Husk had already launched itself forward to land next to him. Before the Commander could react, he was face-to-face with those burning red eyes that promised certain death.

Claws tore the assault-rifle from his grasp, hurling it away, before closing around his unprotected neck in a grip of iron, heaving him brutally off the ground. Even as he felt the rush of wind as Sovereign swung him easily up into the air, John managed to yank his pistol from its holster with his right hand. Gasping for breath, the Commander slammed the barrel against the Saren-Husk's left eye. He squeezed the trigger furiously, emptying half the clip before Sovereign's left clawed hand closed around his own. A choking scream was torn involuntarily from his lips as the Reaper squeezed hard to force his hand open, effectively crushing it, fracturing several bones. The pistol dropped from his nerveless grasp to land in the scorched grass.

_This was it..._

Sovereign's fiery gaze seemed to penetrate into John's very soul as he hung in the merciless grip. Only dimly aware of what was going on now, he watched helplessly in his peripheral vision as Garrus began to rush forward. The crackling blue glow of a charged Overload emanated from the omni-tool attached to his left forearm. Before the turian had taken more than three steps, the Reaper hammered him to the ground with a volley of energy bolts from its left claw.

Turning its attention back to the human in its grasp, Sovereign tightened its grip.

"_You have interfered for the last time._"

Shepard could feel the blood pounding through his veins, his eyesight rimming red as he began to blackout. Sharp pain stabbed out from his neck as the vertebrae began to crack and grind.

A startling scream of rage and defiance, fear and despair filled John's ears.

_Liara?_

"_You won't take him from me, __**monster**__!_"

A powerful wave of blue-white energy crashed into Sovereign's back, sending it stumbling forward as it tried to maintain its balance. Its death-grip loosening for an instant, John seized the opportunity and pistoned his arms up to smash its talons from his neck. Abruptly free, the Commander fell to the ground, his legs giving way beneath him so that he collapsed onto his stomach. Coughing weakly, his lungs burning, it took Shepard what little remaining energy he had to raise his head, his eyes searching for Liara.

She stood only ten feet away. Like a beautiful avenging angel, her entire body glowed brightly with blue-white fire. Her eyes were the all-consuming black John knew well, but now they were a flat space-black, narrowed in tightly focused rage as she gazed upon the Reaper that threatened to rob her of someone she held more important than her own life.

"You won't take him," Liara repeated, her voice softer, yet filled with steely resolve. "I won't let you_._"

She raised her hands again as Sovereign spun around, its eyes flaring brighter in anger and recognition. Gritting her teeth, she loosed another wave of blue-white energy. The Reaper was prepared this time and dodged the biotic attack, quickly launching itself across the garden to the opposite wall. Liara, however, was quick as well and reacquired Sovereign, energies lashing out to wrap around the Reaper like a vice.

With a shout of effort, she spun to her left, dragging her arms with her. Sovereign was jerked hard from the wall, its claws tearing gouges in the plascrete as it tried to maintain its grip. Using the biotic energies like a chain attached to a wrecking ball, Liara smashed the Reaper into the far wall, before spinning around again to swing Sovereign crashing into the opposite wall. Again and again the asari woman slammed the Saren-Husk into the walls, the ceiling, the floor, her anger and desperation lending her biotic abilities strength she never imagined. But like any adrenaline storm, it couldn't last long and Liara was finally forced to release her grip on Sovereign. Her head bowed in exhaustion as she leaned down to rest her hands on her knees for support, panting with her efforts.

It was then the Reaper rose smoothly to its feet from the pile of debris it had landed in, the skeletal form seemingly undamaged by the terrible beating. It advanced on Liara, claws raised for the killing blow. Across the room, John could only gasp weakly in denial, the fingers of his outstretched left hand struggling to reach his pistol only a few feet away.

"_Yet another futile effort, asari._"

Liara's head jerked up in surprise, her face frozen in a mask of horror mere moments before the claws began to transcribe their deadly arc.

"I hope this isn't a private party," A familiar voiced growled. Shotgun shells tore into the Saren-Husk, knocking it back away from the asari woman, as Wrex limped forward, stepping in front of her.

"_No more delays. This confrontation is at an end._"

Lunging forward, Sovereign's clawed hands stabbed out like knives, tearing through the krogan's weakened shields and easily piercing the heavy armor. The long talons buried themselves up to the wrists in Wrex's massive chest. Despite having braced himself, the force of the impact rocked the enormous krogan back a step.

Wrex grunted at the awful burning pain as the Saren-Husk twisted the claws to enlarge the wounds. Despite the agony, he forced a cold smile and spat a mouthful of green blood into the Reaper's face.

"Is that all you've got?" He snarled, deep voice filled with sneering contempt.

Dropping his shotgun, Wrex reached for Sovereign's head, but his armored hands were stopped short by a sparking barrier. He strained against the crackling remnants of the Saren-Husk's upgraded shields. The constant fighting had worn them down, but they still held. A moment later a bolt of blue energy burst upon the Reaper's back and Wrex suddenly found his hands moving again as the shielding drained away.

"N-Now, Wrex!" Garrus gasped. Despite the energy burns stretching from his left thigh to right shoulder, the turian was half-sitting up. His right elbow braced himself, his left arm outstretched with his omni-tool aimed at the Saren-Husk's back.

Wrex's hands closed heavily around the Reaper's head, as unstoppable as twin glaciers. Wrenching the head hard to the right, the krogan twisted and violently pulled up, literally ripping Sovereign's skull from its shoulders. Even as the skeletal body erupted into jerking spasms, Wrex pulled the claws from his chest, blood coating the long vicious weapons and flowing from the deep wounds. Grasping one leg and an arm, the krogan battlemaster lifted up the shuddering form, before smashing it down over his right knee, cracking its spine and shattering several ribs.

Roaring, Wrex tore Sovereign apart, tossing the two halves to opposite sides.

The mechanical voice of the Reaper howled in fury as the red-white energies within the Saren-Husk fizzled away to nothingness, both halves of the body quickly disintegrating into black ashes.

- - - - -

For the first time in millennia, the entity that called itself 'Sovereign' writhed in what could only be described as _pain_. Searing, burning, Sovereign roared soundlessly. It had placed much of its energy, much of its very being, into creating and maintaining the Saren-Husk. It had _lived_ through that skeletal form. That energy had been stripped away from it upon the destruction of the body by the human and his allies.

The Reaper was now hurt and hurt badly. Far worse than any mere physical injury, this wound struck into Sovereign's very core, had torn into its very essence. Violated, the Reaper frantically turned its attention inward in an attempt to contain and repair the fearsome damage.

This decision came at too high a price.

- - - - -

For a long moment, Joker could only stare at the sensor display in utter disbelief.

_Impossible..._

Comprehension struck him like a slap to the face and he scrambled to activate the comm-net.

"_Sovereign's shields are down!_" His voice shook with excitement. "Repeat: its shields are down! Now's our chance!"

"_Confirmed!_" Admiral Hackett shouted triumphantly. "_All ships, hit it with everything you've got! Send that bastard straight to hell!_"

Galvanized into action, the combined fleet renewed their attack, firing every weapon at their disposal at Sovereign. As the pounding continued, the massive sentient dreadnought slipped slowly from the Citadel tower, its arms seemingly unable to hold it in place anymore.

"Hard on my flank!" Joker commanded, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "We're going in!"

Four squadrons of Alliance fighters and bombers followed the _Normandy_ down in a direct charge at the vulnerable Reaper, unleashing their missiles and torpedoes at maximum range before closing to ravage the dreadnought with their internal energy weapons.

Twisting the _Normandy_ violently around to avoid floating wreckage and debris, Joker delivered the final blow, launching two torpedoes that struck Sovereign right in its belly. The twin blasts tore through the Reaper, geysers of fire erupting from its back. Multiple explosions began wracking the dreadnought from stem to stern, before it finally blew apart, sending wreckage and debris flying everywhere.

In the final explosion, the tip of one of Sovereign's legs was sent wheeling end over end directly towards the top of the Citadel tower.

- - - - -

"Ouch!" Shepard grunted. "Careful, Wrex!"

The big krogan and Garrus were helping the Commander slowly up the collapsed bridge, John leaning heavily on both of them for support.

"You humans have such a low pain tolerance," Wrex grumbled in good-natured annoyance, yet adjusting his grip so he wouldn't accidentally squeeze any of John's cracked ribs again.

"By the Goddess..." Liara whispered.

Only a few feet ahead of the three, the asari scientist stood rooted to the floor, her eyes wide in shock as she gazed at the huge window that dominated the far wall. After finally reaching the top of the bridge as well, they followed her intense stare, looking in the same direction.

Beyond the fortified window they could see Sovereign's massive form being flayed by cannon fire and missiles. Fighters and bombers weaved intricate paths around the Reaper, their thrusters leaving bright trails behind them. They saw the _Normandy_ swoop down like a hawk and deliver the killing blow, two torpedoes piercing Sovereign's armored form, setting off the explosions that would finally destroy the Reaper.

Despite his exhaustion, John tried to cheer, but instead ended up doubling over in a ragged coughing fit, the breath rasping in his lungs. The commander raised his left hand to gently massage his badly bruised throat and neck. Seconds ticked by before he finally recovered, Liara helping him to stand straight again.

However, when his gaze returned to the large window, his face paled.

_Not like this..._

A massive chunk of wreckage was headed straight towards them, accompanied by dozens of smaller pieces.

He and his crewmembers were standing at ground zero of Sovereign's unknowing, yet final revenge.

_From hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee..._

Biting back the pain, the Commander whirled to face his comrades, his friends.

"_Go!_" He shouted in desperation, gesturing wildly towards the flights of stairs and the single entrance at the far end of the long hall. "_Get out of here!_"

John pushed Garrus and Wrex back awkwardly as they hesitated, gritting his teeth as agony flared from his broken hand. He realized though they would never make it. None of them would.

There was only one thing to do.

He took a step back and focused his mind, concentrating what little biotic energy he had remaining after the battle with Sovereign. With a singular grunt of effort, John unleashed the strongest Throw he could at his companions. Before they could react, Wrex and Garrus were hurled backward with startled shouts and curses, each wrapped in a protective cocoon of blue-white energy. They landed hard against the ground, sliding for over twenty meters towards the distant entrance, unhurt, but shocked. He watched them scramble to their feet, shouting unintelligibly back at him.

It was only then Shepard realized Liara was still standing before him, unaffected by his ability, a shield of biotic energy protecting her.

"Liara, what are you doing?" He snapped, fear and confusion making his voice angrier than he'd intended.

Instead of replying, she stepped forward decisively, her shield fading away.

"No! Get out of here! I can't let you... Not you..."

The asari woman reached out, placing a warm hand soothingly against his cheek. Her loving, yet determined gaze met his, a soft smile on her lips.

_Did you think I wouldn't know what you were going to do, John? _

Her voice seemed to echo within his mind, resonate within his very soul. He gasped at the...at the _sensation_.

_I don't want to die...but neither can I let any of you... _He thought._ It was the only way, the only choice. I couldn't save Ashley __**or**__ Kaidan on Virmire... I failed them both. I __**won't**__ fail the rest of you now. All of you have seen so much and suffered so much beside me. I couldn't bear knowing in the end I was the cause of your...of your..._ He couldn't finish the thought. _It's better this way... _

_Do you think I don't understand what you're feeling? We are __**one**__, you and I. I hear your thoughts; I feel your pain. There is __**nothing**__ you can ever think or say I won't understand..._

She stepped into his tight embrace, her arms encircling his neck just as his hugged her close around her waist. Their faces only inches apart, they gazed into one another's eyes.

_We are one, John,_ She repeated, smiling gently, running a blue finger down his cheek._ You've been alone for far too long. No more. I am here for you; I will __**always**__ be here for you_. _Even now, at the end..._

He couldn't help, but smile back. It was an honest smile of love and trust. He'd never felt safer, more protected, than in her arms. He wanted to stay this way, to _feel_ this way, forever.

_There's no place I'd rather be than with you, even now. __**Thank you**__, Liara T'soni. I love you._

_And I love you, John Shepard._

Their lips met in a tender kiss. Around them, blue-white energies danced, brighter than anything seen before, blazing as their minds melded. For an instant, they relived all that had happened since the moment they had first met, from Liara's rescue on Therum to their first night together before Ilos to the final battle against Sovereign.

The last sight Garrus and Wrex had of John and Liara was the two of them holding one another, energies flaring almost white-hot around them as they kissed. And then they were gone, the wreckage smashing through the large window like a juggernaut to bury them under tons of debris.

- - - - -

Watching from the command bridge of the turian cruiser _Judgement_, Captain Anderson's eyes widened. His jaw dropped open as the massive chunk of wreckage crashed through the decorative observation window to obliterate the Council's meeting chambers at the top of the central tower.

_My God, Shepard and his crew were right in there! Did they...?_

He quickly regained his composure, a commander's duty snapping into place.

"Captain Daelus," He said formally to the nearby turian captain, only the slightest note of concern in his otherwise impassive voice. "Request that we dock with the Citadel tower ASAP and send in rescue teams."

The turian nodded, a stiff military gesture.

"Of course, Captain Anderson," He replied, before issuing orders to his crew.

"Communications," Anderson continued, glancing at a nearby bridge officer. "Please open a channel with the _Everest_."

"Channel open, sir," The comm-officer reported a few moments later as the cruiser swung around, heading towards the nearest docking bay on the central tower.

"_Hackett here_," The Admiral said. "_I saw what happened, David._"

"Yes, sir," Anderson replied. "Request permission to-"

"_Granted,_" Hackett interrupted. "_Find your people, captain. I've already ordered the __**Everest**__ and as many other ships as possible to dock with the Citadel, wherever they can find the room and an undamaged access port. The rest will be sending over shuttles._"

"Understood, sir."

"_Good luck, David. I hope they're all right._"

"Thank you, sir. Anderson out."

- - - - -

_Well... This is certainly __**not**__ the end I'd imagined myself facing in C-Sec..._

Garrus Vakarian was certain he was going to die. He and Wrex had almost made it to the entrance into the council hall. They had hesitated a few moments too long though, seconds that now appeared fatal. Both of them had been staring back at Commander Shepard and Liara T'soni, watching silently as duty and honor warred with survival and self-preservation in both their hearts. In the end, it had cost them both, for the wreckage had smashed the council chambers into ruins.

_...but then, this mission was far more challenging than anything in C-Sec ever was..._

Garrus had managed to protect the already wounded krogan from the worst of the falling debris with his own armor and shields, but it had almost not been enough. A quick glance at his shield energy display showed a measly two percent.

At the moment, he and Wrex were now squeezed against one another, back-to-back, hemmed in on all sides by metal and plascrete debris mixed with blackened pieces of Sovereign's hull. The mounds of rubble groaned and shifted ominously overhead, threatening to collapse at any moment.

Shifting so as to ease some of the pressure on his wounded body, Garrus hissed in agony as white hot pain raced up his left forearm. The feeling of bones grinding against one another told him it was broken in at least two places. A moment later a cut across his forehead was torn open again, half-blinding him with the steady flow of blood. There was no way he could move now. Out of the corner of one eye, he spotted a leg pinned by a half-melted support strut. It wasn't until he recognized the splotched green and black armor plating and the jagged gash torn through it that he realized it was _his_ blood spilling onto the ground. He couldn't guess about any internal injuries and wasn't sure if he'd even want to know if he had any. There was enough to deal with already.

Around him the air was thin and filled with dust that sent the turian into painful coughing fits whenever he breathed too deeply. Judging from the air quality itself and the temperature, it seemed clear the central tower's life-support systems had been badly damaged. There was no way of telling how long the air supply would last or how much longer he could survive after such blood loss.

Unluckily, or perhaps luckily, Wrex had been knocked unconscious again. Garrus couldn't tell how the krogan's vital signs looked, for the targeter eyepiece he had worn over his right eye was shattered.

Despite the hideous pain from his injuries and the dire predicament he was in, Garrus was still a turian with all the discipline and determination his people had instilled in him since birth. He wouldn't allow himself to lose consciousness or die until Commander Shepard himself came walking up to him with the order to do so. However, there was nothing he could actively do about the current situation and all of his medigel had been used during the fight against Sovereign's Saren-Husk monstrosity.

As it was, the best thing he could do was control his breathing and focus his thoughts, reducing the agony clawing his nerve endings to an angry throbbing at the back of his mind. As he grew calmer in acceptance of what was and what would be, memories began to surface, like bubbles rising from the depths of a lake. He closed his eyes as bits and pieces flashed in and out of focus.

He remembered...

_He remembered..._

_...One of his first nights dining with what Commander Shepard had named the 'command crew' in the mess hall aboard the __**Normandy**__. Even Joker had managed to hobble his way aft using his crutches to join them. Chief Williams, Engineer Adams, and Lieutenant Alenko were all trying to tell a joke to him, something about a human, an asari, and a hanar all walking into a bar. They had all been talking at the same time and interrupting each other. He fully admitted at the end he had found the joke more confusing than entertaining. Everyone had looked quietly at one another, before spontaneous laughter engulfed the group. A good time for all..._

_...Being in awe of Tali'Zorah's mastery of technology through her omni-tool as he witnessed for the first time her hacking of a Geth Armature. The massive walking tank had gone berserk, turning on its own comrades and destroying four of them with a single blast from its Siege Pulse Cannon. She had proven to be far from the helpless, defenseless quarian most of the galaxy labeled her race as. She had demonstrated this to Garrus again in the next moment, her shotgun taking down two Geth Troopers trying to flank the crew members..._

_...Arguing heatedly with Wrex yet again in the cargo hold of the __**Normandy**__. To the calculating, dedicated turian, the krogan mercenary was akin to some form of chaotic elemental force. He would probably never understand Wrex, the way he thought and acted. His attempts to place the krogan somewhere in his ordered view of the universe always came into conflict with the disdainful view of turians almost all krogans had. The topic, like other times before, had been the genophage used on the krogan race and its subsequent consequences. And this time, like other times before, the two had almost come to blows, Chief Williams having to step in at the last minute to try and cool things down. _

_And yet, despite those occasional volatile confrontations, he had learned to trust Wrex with his life; in fact the two had saved each other's lives several times throughout the journey. When it came right down to it, the two of them were comrades-in-arms, soldiers fighting together, and that meant more to both of them than what their races had done to each other in the past..._

_...Finally tracking down the infamous Dr. Saleon, who had eluded him for so long and who had also changed names to Dr. R. Heart, revealing the salarian's twisted sense of humor. He, Commander Shepard, and Dr. T'soni had boarded the MSV __**Fedele**__, Dr. Heart's personal ship. After being forced to kill the crazed scientist's rampaging test subjects, they had finally confronted Dr. Heart himself in one of the ship's chambers. Garrus had been so...__**consumed**__ by the desire for retribution, swift justice for the murderer, that he'd almost shot the salarian on sight. He'd barely been able to restrain himself after Command Shepard had stated he was going to arrest the doctor, not execute him immediately for his crimes. _

_That had __**always**__ been the way it was in C-Sec!_ Even now, Garrus couldn't help reliving some of his anger and frustration in that moment.

_Too much red tape, too much compromise, too much politics! All preventing the criminals from receiving true justice for what they had done! _

_And yet... _

_And yet he had known Commander Shepard was right. Garrus knew he wasn't, could never be, judge, jury, and executioner. It hadn't mattered in the end anyway. Shepard's decision had driven Dr. Heart to raise his gun, attempting to escape by force. Without hesitation, the Commander had shot him, killing the salarian with a single bullet to the head, his pistol drawn with a speed and used with a precision Garrus knew few could match. But after Dr. Heart's demise, he didn't feel the vengeful satisfaction he was certain he would. And what had really changed? Whether by his hand or the Commander's, the end result had been the same: Dr. Saleon was dead. And it was then Garrus realized he still had much to learn, for the Commander had explained: he couldn't choose the actions others would take, but he could choose his own, and it was by that choice the difference was created._

_Yes... Shepard had been both his commanding officer __**and**__ a mentor. _

_But now he was dead, along with Liara, Kaidan, and Ashley. They were all dead. And it seemed all too likely that soon he and Wrex would be joining them..._

"S-So..." From behind the turian came a deep grating voice laced with pain, but familiar nonetheless. "So _this_ is how it ends. And beneath...all of this crap."

A rough chuckle was cut short by a harsh cough.

"I must be cursed... No honorable death in combat... No glorious last stand... And to make it even worse...I'm dying...next to _you_..."

The exasperation in the krogan's voice made his companion smirk.

"Oh, shut up, Wrex," Garrus replied, biting back his laughter, his eyes bright even in the darkness. _Gods, it hurt just to __**smile**__..._ "You-"

The sounds of groaning metal and crumbling plascrete cut him off.

_This was it..._

Before Garrus could fully resign himself to his fate, the triangular wedge of Sovereign's scorched hull in front of him was abruptly yanked to one side. The shriek of metal tearing against metal and other debris filled the turian's ears. Garrus winced in pain as the sharp noise ripped through his head like a banshee scream, squinting his eyes at the same time to protect his sensitive vision as bright sparks cascaded down before him. And then suddenly, the piece of hull was no longer there, leaving a crudely formed portal, an opening to some new world. The light that streamed through the opening was dim and hellish, and it took Garrus a long moment to recognize the red tinge of the Citadel's emergency systems.

But then the light was gone, cut off by a shadowy figure that crouched in the rough opening, as if Death itself had come to claim their souls.

Garrus blinked his eyes several times to clear his vision. _Funny... I never thought Death would look like a C-Sec officer..._

A brilliant white light blazed to life in the turian's face, blinding him as the shadow activated its omni-tool to search the rubble.

"What the f-!" Wrex began to curse in startled annoyance, before he was interrupted by an excited exclamation.

"Captain Anderson! We found them!"

That moment seemed to last forever in Garrus' mind. Help had arrived after all.

And then time resumed its normal flow as an increasingly large group of technicians and C-Sec personnel gathered at the opening of the debris pile. With practiced efficiency, small portable shield generators were used to support the debris packed in around Garrus and Wrex. Then several laser cutters were used in tandem to extract the two from their prison of wreckage. It took only scant minutes before the two aliens were carefully extricated from and carried safely beyond the death-trap, the officers placing them gently on the floor.

After such a long time contemplating his inevitable demise, Garrus was certain at no other point could being alive have been so deeply satisfying, so utterly wonderful, as it was now.

The turian found himself looking up at a familiar face as a man kneeled down next to him, though it seemed to have aged far beyond what Garrus remembered, carved with hard lines of worry and concern.

"Captain...Anderson?" His surprised words were choked off by a shuddering cough.

"It's all right, Garrus, you're safe now," Anderson said, his voice as apparently composed and reassuring as it ever was, though there was a tightness now that suggested otherwise. He looked up from the turian and his eyes seemed to scan the room, leaving little doubt what he would say next. "Where's the Commander? Where's Dr. T'soni?"

Garrus closed his eyes in resignation, his throat too raw to speak. Raising a trembling hand, he pointed weakly at the mounds of jagged, smoking wreckage at the far end of the Council chamber.

Anderson closed his eyes as well, bowing his head. So, it was as he'd feared: two more heroes sacrificed to protect the galaxy. Bitterness swelled deep within at such a loss, for after all, Shepard had become a Spectre on his recommendation.

Opening his eyes with a pained sigh, he glanced over to watch two of the C-Sec officers attending to Wrex's injuries. One man sealed the deep chest wounds with medigel, while the other spread medigel into gashes torn through the armor plating along the krogan's right side. The two men then slowly helped the battlemaster to his feet, Wrex's arms slung over either man's shoulders. The C-Sec officers' legs looked as if they'd buckle at any moment from the krogan's weight.

Had it been at any other time, Anderson could probably have found it in himself to at least smile at the annoyed expression on Wrex's face as the two humans strained to support his bulk. Right now, however, he didn't have the energy or the desire to indulge even simple pleasures. The tragic losses of John Shepard, Liara T'soni, Kaidan Alenko, and Ashley Williams would forever remain a blight of darkness on the light of Sovereign's defeat.

After attending to Garrus' wounds, Anderson carefully slid an arm underneath the turian's left arm, helping Garrus up. The turian grunted in pain as his injured leg momentarily took his full weight, before he leaned on the Captain for additional support. But as Anderson adjusted his hold around Garrus' lower back with his left arm to make sure he was bracing the turian properly, he heard a clatter of shifting debris and felt Garrus stiffen suddenly with a gasp of shock.

Before the Captain could look to see the cause of such a reaction, Wrex spoke, his tone of astonishment a direct contrast with his deep rumbling voice.

"Well, well, well..." The krogan managed a deep-throated chuckle as he raised his voice. "So, Sovereign still couldn't finish you two, could he?" His voice rose to a bellow as he roared in triumphant laughter. "Ha! I should've known!"

As Wrex continued to laugh, Anderson finally managed to look up, his eyes widening as he, too, gasped in surprise.

Before his eyes a battered Liara T'soni and John Shepard carefully made their way down a pile of wreckage just a few meters from the makeshift medical camp.

Attempting to smirk through lips drawn into a tight grimace, it was the Commander's eyes as opposed to his mouth that showed his appreciation for Wrex's mirth, while conversely Liara's bright smile helped ease the exhaustion evident on her face. Supporting one another, John kept his right arm tightly around the asari doctor's shoulders, while her left arm carefully encircled his waist, avoiding his still injured ribs. Although they both looked worn out, the expression of relief was evident on their faces.

_They had both made it through alive._

Moving slowly, the pair came to a stop in front of Captain Anderson and Garrus, who had yet to shift from their original positions. Raising his left hand slowly in a mock salute, Shepard bit back a grunt of pain.

"Mission accomplished, sir." The Commander's voice was strained from fatigue and pain. "Saren's dead and Sovereign's been destroyed."

Anderson awkwardly returned the salute, smiling apologetically as he jostled the turian he was assisting.

"Understood, Commander. Welcome back."

- - - - -

Though it had only been a few hours since Commander Shepard, Liara T'soni, Urdnot Wrex, and Garrus Vakarian had been found and rescued by Citadel personnel, the three Council ambassadors had soon jointly requested to meet with the Commander and Captain Anderson as soon as possible, but at the two Alliance officers' convenience. Once the agony of his multiple injuries had been reduced to dull aches by pain killer injections, Shepard had replied, informing the Council he would meet with them right away.

Liara and Garrus had both gone to meet up with Tali'Zorah and check on Wrex's condition. All of them owed the krogan their lives for finally destroying Sovereign's Saren-Husk. Shepard would have to say his own thank-you just a bit later.

His muscular torso and arms wrapped in clean white bandages, protecting wounds smeared with medigel, Shepard limped steadily towards the three councilors, supported by Captain Anderson to his left. Ambassador Udina accompanied the two officers to John's right, his face still set in that ever familiar scowl, most likely due to the Commander's lack of formal dress. Shepard seriously doubted the ambassador would know what a smile was if it even walked up and kicked him in the groin.

Though stripped to the waist, the Commander still wore the dark blue pants of his combat uniform as well as a pair of black boots. A grey medical brace enclosed his right hand and wrist, holding the fractured bones in place. Though shiny and new, the rigid material of the boots dug uncomfortably into Shepard's feet. As he continued to limp forward, he thought wistfully of the well-worn, but comfortable armored boots that were lying in their own pile of dirt in the medbay. No amount of praise was worth leaving the comfort of good shoes behind, regardless of who it came from.

The meeting place was a relatively undamaged plaza on the Presidium, a rarity after the destruction that had come just before. Partially restored by Citadel repair crews, the lighting was still dim, flickering occasionally, while the floor was strewn with dust and jagged chunks of debris from the recent fighting. The trees and plants that dotted the perimeter were blackened and withered.

As the Commander, Captain, and ambassador finally reached the three Council representatives, the two Alliance officers drew themselves into the position of attention. John did so noticeably slower than his companion. A tight grimace momentarily crossed his lips as badly bruised and partially torn muscles were pulled into place.

Matriarch Nyala, the asari councilor, was the first to speak, shaking her head slightly as she did so, her eyes solemnly taking in John's bandaged form.

"Captain Anderson, Commander Shepard, please, stand at ease. Thank you both for meeting with us so soon." She hesitated for a moment. "But are you sure now is a good time, Commander? We could always postpone this meeting until later if you need more rest."

John's grimace faded as he shook his head stiffly.

"I'm fine, councilor," He replied, trying to sound reassuring, though he could tell from the three aliens' skeptical expressions that he appeared anything but.

"Very well, Commander. Let me begin by saying we have gathered here to recognize the truly enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the Geth."

Councilor Virtar, of the Salarian Union, spoke next.

"Many Humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel," He said, a frank statement of fact. "We acknowledge them as brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we, the Council, might live."

Councilor Kalan, of the Turian Hierarchy, continued as his associate finished.

"There is no greater sacrifice and we share your grief over the tragic loss of so many noble men and women."

_Do you?_ John asked silently, his eyes narrowing at the unexpected wave of harsh bitterness. _Do you __**truly**__ share that grief? Do you __**understand**__ what we did for you? _

Even as Matriarch Nyala continued, Shepard was now only half-listening, not so distant memories rushing to the forefront of his thoughts. The words of the Asari matriarch only served as a droning background noise.

"The Council owes you a great personal debt, Commander, one we can never repay. You saved not just our lives, but billions from Sovereign and the Reapers..."

"_We're assembled here today to pay our final respects to our honored dead. These Alliance officers were two of our finest and best. I wish I had the right words to say about each of them, but I can state this with complete and utter certainty: they died __**heroes**__ and the Systems Alliance is diminished by their passing. We now commit this man and woman to the depths of space. From the stars we came, to the stars we return."_

"Commander Shepard,"

Someone was addressing him, but the voice seemed far away as if it was struggling to cross the vastness of space.

"Your heroic and selfless actions serve as a symbol for everything Humanity and the Alliance stand for..."

"_Soldiers, atten-HUT! Present...ARMS!"_

"_Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko..."_

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to save ours," Another voice, familiar, but equally distant. "We can honor their memories with our actions."

"_Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams..."_

"We all believe Humanity has shown it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the galaxy," Nyala said firmly, nodding. "You have proved you are worthy to join our ranks and serve beside us on the Council."

Though the voices had faded away, the memories continued to pour in like water into a glass until Shepard was filled to the brim and all he could do was watch, paralyzed, as it overflowed.

_It wasn't your fault, John. Sooner or later, you must understand that and forgive yourself. You did what you could._

_There must've been __**something**__ more I could've done, Liara... Something..._

A small portion of his mind abruptly noticed all three of the Citadel councilors were looking expectantly at him, waiting for a formal reply. Even as Shepard mentally shook himself from his brief reverie, Ambassador Udina stepped forward as if on cue, smoothly taking over as if the Council had been addressing _him_ instead.

"Councilor, on behalf of Humanity and the Systems Alliance, we thank you for this prestigious honor and humbly accept."

"We will, of course, need a list of potential candidates to fill Humanity's seat on the Council," Councilor Virtar said, the salarian's large eyes flickering to the Commander for a moment before focusing on the ambassador again.

"Given all that's happened," Matriarch Nyala said, gesturing at John. "I'm sure your recommendation will carry a great deal of weight, Commander. Do you support any particular candidate?"

"We need someone with the courage to stand up for what he believes in," John replied without hesitation, his mind now clear. He gestured to his left. "And that's Captain Anderson."

"_Him_?" Udina turned to look at the other man with a snort of disbelief. "You must be joking! Anderson prefers to let his _fists_ do the talking."

The Captain smiled mockingly and winked.

"Only with you, ambassador, only with you..."

"Are you sure about this, Commander?" Udina pressed. "The Captain's a soldier, not a politician."

"It seems to me we've already got too many politicians on the Citadel, ambassador," John replied, glancing at Udina coldly. "I believe the Captain would be perfect for this job."

"I think it's an inspired choice, Commander," Matriarch Nyala said. "The Council would welcome him with open arms, should he accept."

Anderson stepped forward, nodding stiffly.

"I'd be honored, councilor. As Humanity's representative, I'll do everything in my power to help the Council rebuild."

Kalan raised both of his arms.

"Sovereign's defeat marks a new era for both Humanity _and_ the Council."

John mentally shook his head in disbelief. Even after all of this time, after all of his reports, they _still_ didn't understand the magnitude of the threat.

"Sovereign was only a vanguard," He stated sharply, his voice filled with authority. "The Reaper Fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ships, maybe thousands."

He allowed them a moment to silently digest this information before _telling_ them, "I'm going to find some way to stop them."

With that, before anyone could raise a voice in question or protest, John turned around and limped steadily off. He still had to talk to Wrex. Behind him, he could hear Captain Anderson making an impassioned speech about the Council races all uniting to fight the Reapers when they came. He smiled slightly. If anyone could pull the Council together into such a fighting force, Anderson could. But right now, he had his own work to do.

Ignoring the partially restored rapid transit shuttle service back to the medbay, John instead arrived at C-Sec's headquarters. He automatically returned the salutes and greetings offered his way by various C-Sec officers, Alliance personnel, and emergency services technicians. Soon he was inside the elevator that rose to the docking bay where the _Normandy_ was usually berthed.

The sight that greeted him when he arrived at the top made him smile.

"What took you so long, Shepard?" Wrex growled good-naturedly.

Standing near the _Normandy_'s airlock was the ever solid krogan battlemaster. To his left stood Garrus and to his right was Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, enigmatic as always in her darkly colored encounter suit. Wrex was leaning on both of them for support, massive forearms draped over their shoulders, still yet to fully recover from his injuries during the final battle against Sovereign.

The tall turian agent nodded gravely at John.

"Hello, Commander. It's about time you got up here."

"What's this all about?" Shepard asked, feigning ignorance as he walked forward to stand before them, folding his arms across his chest.

"We're coming with you, of course," Liara said softly, stepping out from behind the three taller aliens, her determined blue eyes meeting his own. "I believe we all still have unfinished business with the Reapers."

"You can't talk us out of it, Shepard," Wrex rumbled, interrupting any protests the Commander may have tried to come up with, as Liara stepped forward to take John's right hand in her own slim blue one.

"So don't even try. Besides, I know that one," The krogan continued, gesturing at the young asari scientist. "Would kill you if you left her behind. And then she'd probably kill the rest of us for not stopping you from leaving her behind. So if _she's_ going with you, then there's no way in hell _any_ of us are getting left behind."

"He's right, Commander," Tali'Zorah agreed, nodding emphatically. "You're going to need _all_ of our help before this is finally over."

"Well, I can plainly see this is a decision even my Spectre status can't do anything about," John replied slowly, a genuine smile spreading across his lips. He reached out and gently pulled Liara to him, wrapping his right arm around her shoulders to hold her close. "If this is how it's going to be, then... Then I can't thank you enough. All of you."

"Bah," Wrex grumbled. "Enough of this emotional crap. Are we going or not? Get a move on there, turian," He continued, shoving Garrus a step towards the airlock access hatch. "Time's wasting."

"One of these days, Wrex..." Garrus muttered half-jokingly.

"Yeah?" Wrex asked, chuckling. "You'll do what?"

"I don't know yet, but I've got an idea involving a combat shotgun and sticking it up your ass..."

"Sounds a bit too kinky for me, turian."

The comment made Garrus pause, before a very wicked grin crossed his features.

"Somehow, knowing you, I doubt that..."

The two aliens entered the _Normandy_ still arguing and trading insults, Tali'Zorah shaking her head as she followed them inside.

John laughed quietly, before glancing at Liara to see her gazing at him. He felt his cheeks grow hot in a blush at her seemingly intense expression and had to look away for a moment, before returning it with equal focus.

_You understand what this means, what's at stake?_ The Commander asked, though he knew it wasn't necessary.

_Of course, John, just as well as you do_.

_I know it'll be dangerous, but regardless, I'm glad you're coming with me._

She raised a hand to his cheek, smiling gently.

_You know I'd never let you face this alone._ Her voice in his mind was a feathery caress._ We'll do this __**together**__, John._

He smiled and kissed her then, the softest pressure of his lips against hers sending a bolt of lightning through both of them.

_I know, but still... _

Their kiss silenced all, but the most important thought.

_Thank you._

"Come on, you two!" Wrex roared back over his shoulder. "Or we'll _never_ leave! Get a room inside if you have to, but let's _go_!"

Grumbling quietly, Shepard reluctantly pulled back, but shifted his arm down around Liara's waist instead, unwilling to let go.

"You know, if Garrus doesn't do something about him, maybe _I_ will," John muttered under his breath as they both passed through the large decontamination doors, his only response the silver glissade of Liara's laughter.

And then she was gone, following the rest of his crew as they moved down the main aisle of the command deck towards the holographic galaxy map, leaving Shepard alone to walk those last few steps into the _Normandy_.

_It was good to be home._

"Where to, sir?"

Joker's voice called steadily from the cockpit, unaided by the intercom. His normally sarcastic and humorous nature had been replaced, for the moment, with a hard edge of seriousness and formality that hadn't really existed before.

The question caught the Commander off-guard and he hesitated for a moment in thoughtful silence. But in the end, there was really only one location to start with. He needed more information and that meant-

"Ilos, Joker," John at last said firmly. "Set a course for Ilos. I need to speak with Vigil again."


End file.
